Inground Solar Cover Reels

Solar covers for pools are a wonderful invention for adding natural solar warmth to your pool, and for retaining heat at night and for virtually eliminating evaporation. However, they have a dark side, solar blankets can be cumbersome to remove and replace, even for two people.

Solar Pool Cover Reels are the answer, and are so easy to use that one person can remove and replace a solar blanket with ease. Your solar cover attaches easily to the pool cover roller with long straps and clips. A hand crank on one end allows you to effortlessly roll-up your solar blanket onto the pool cover reel, or if that’s too much work, check out our automatic pool cover reels.

Inground solar cover reels are so very convenient and functional, but did you know that they also protect your solar blanket from all types of calamity while it is removed from the pool?

Sun, wind, dirt, dogs, squirrels, birds, lawnmowers – there are many ways that a solar cover can be damaged laying on the pool deck. Using a pool cover reel keeps your cover safely rolled up, and out of the way. Solar cover reels are also useful for long-term solar cover storage, during the hotter summer months, or during winter, used with our Winter Solar Reel Cover.

Freatures:

Powder coated aluminum or resin bases

Aluminum tubes 3" - 5" dis., adjustable width

Ball bearing hand crank assembly

Caster Wheels to move solar cover reel

Strap and Clip Kits included

Powered solar cover reels

Benefits:

1-person removal and replacement of solar covers

Safely stores your solar cover when off the pool

Heavy duty solar cover reels last for decades

Caster Wheels allow movement of your pool cover reel

Low profile designs fit underneath diving boards

Selecting an Inground Solar Cover Reel:

Pool Size: How wide is your pool? Inground solar cover reels are adjustable to a certain degree, and most fit pool covers up to 20 ft, but some pool cover rollers are made to fit smaller, or larger pool sizes. How long is your pool? Most inground pool cover reels will handle a solar blanket length of up to 40’, however less sturdy reel tubes may bow under the weight. For longer solar covers, look for a larger roller tube, with adjustable end bases, like the GLI Hurricane solar blanket reel. Longer covers may also rub on the ground when fully rolled up, especially on Low Profile solar cover reels.

Solar Cover Thickness: We sell solar blankets in three thicknesses, 8 Mil, 12 Mil and 16 Mil. Like longer solar covers, thicker solar covers are also heavier, and as such are more suited for heavy duty solar cover reels, with a large diameter roller tube and beefy end bases, like the GLI Storm. Thicker blankets also roll up to a larger diameter than thinner blankets, and longer covers may not fit beneath diving boards, or may rub on the ground when fully rolled up onto the Low-Profile solar reels.

Moving the Solar Reel: Some solar reels come with caster wheels as standard equipment, some reels offer it as an option, and some don’t have wheels at all. Pool cover rollers without wheels should not be moved with the cover rolled up. Even though two people could pick it up and move it, it stresses the hinges and tube and can damage the reel. If you want to roll the solar blanket reel out of the way after rolling up the cover, look for a model with large wheels like the Rocky’s Easy Roller.

Free Form Pool Shapes: If your pool is not rectangular, you can still use a solar cover reel by folding in the outer curved shapes, and rolling up the roughly rectangular shape. Another option is to cut the cover into one large rectangle to fit the solar reel, and cut smaller pieces for the curved areas outside of the main rectangle, which are manually removed and replaced.

Inground Solar Cover Reel Prices: They are all over the place, from under $200 to over $1200 for the powered solar cover reels by Pool Boy, to even more for Horizon Commercial-Grade solar cover reels. As with most things, you get what you pay for with pool cover rollers, with more expensive models being better engineered with stronger and more durable components, more features and longer warranties. This can be important for year ‘round pools, or pools using longer or thicker solar covers, and for solar reels that are used several times per week.